Printer cartridges are seen as a single-use product by printer and vartridge Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) - but they aren't. 

As a matter of fact, most current printer cartridges fall within the scope of the WEEE-2 Directive. When considering the use of raw materials, repairing and remanufacturing are the most preferable alternatives to landfill and/or recycling because the form of the product is retained and its associated economic value is preserved. 

Unfortunately, printer and cartridge OEMs have a narrow view when it comes to protecting the environment. They believe that capturing raw materials before they end up in landfill, and that the recycling of the raw material used in their cartridges is good enough. But the waste hierarchy clearly prefers re-use over mere raw material recycling.

The DKWU (German Cartridge Reprocessing Company) network is an informal and voluntary association of companies in Germany that have been remanufacturing and repairing printer cartridges with high quality standards for many years. DKWU remanufacturing companies reuse the components of the OEMs and repair or replace only those parts that are worn or defective. The spare parts used are perfectly matched to each other and to the appropriate toner or ink for the application, which are usually tested for harmful substances.